Western Digital Ships Its First 4TB, 6TB Storage Systems with Thunderbolt Interface

Western Digital, a leading maker of hard disk drives and storage systems, has initiated shipments of its first external storage solutions with Thunderbolt 10Gb/s interface. The new My Book Thunderbolt Duo family provides double-safe data protection and flexibility, ultra-fast data transfer rates for greater work efficiency as well as customized dual-drive storage system with RAID 0, 1 and JBOD options.

WD My Book Thunderbolt Duo external dual-drive storage systems are available in 4TB and 6TB capacities and are based on two 2TB or 3TB hard disk drives, RAID controller, Thunderbolt controller and other logic needed to provide professional-grade functionality. The drive serves as a safe and reliable way to backup content stored on computer while providing the fastest way to get information to and from the WD drive thanks to 10Gb/s interface. The RAID 1 allows users to create a second copy of their digital content on the drive for double-safe protection, RAID 0 allows to boost performance of the storage sub-system and the JBOD mode to allocate each disk individually to a specific task.

WD did not indicate which hard disk drives (HDDs) it used inside the My Book Thunderbolt Duo. Some sources indicate that WD installs two drives with 7200rpm spindle speed, but WD does not have a 3TB HDD with 7200rpm spindle speed in its lineup now, therefore, the company either utilizes an unannounced hard drive, or simply installs HDDs with 5400rpm spindle speed.

Performance testing by WD resulted in an average actual transfer rate for Thunderbolt of over 250MB/s on 6TB systems and 225MB/s on 4TB systems

"The My Book Thunderbolt Duo offers large storage capacities for creative professionals and enthusiasts who produce, edit, or need quick access to large files, including HD video. The dual Thunderbolt ports provide amazing creative flexibility while allowing daisy-chaining of up to six My Book Thunderbolt Duo drives or other high performance peripherals for fast and efficient workflow. The combination of storage, backup, security, flexibility and speed makes the My Book Thunderbolt Duo the ideal choice for creative professionals who need to write, store, protect and edit high-definition and graphic intensive projects," said Jody Bradshaw, general manager of WD consumer storage solutions.

The My Book Thunderbolt Duo is available now at select U.S. retailers and online starting at $599.99 for 4 TB mode and $699.99 for 6 TB model.